"One for the Road:" The Chicago Stockyard Kilty Band

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 14, 2011 9:30PM

Chicago and the Irish are so interwoven that it's easy to see why Shawn Ryan made the mob Irish in The Chicago Code, even though it may not be factually correct. Part of that fabric is the richness of the city's Irish music. From the punk-infused folk of the Tossers to the hootenannies in some of the tougher Beverly pubs, this is the time of year for Irish music. And that includes the drum-and-fife corps.

Warning: there are bagpipes today, courtesy of the Chicago Stockyard Kilty Band, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and was actually formed by Chicago Scotsmen. There will probably be bagpipes later this week, as well. It's Chicago and Thursday is St. Patrick's Day. There's no getting around it.